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battle of 
Q1JEE]>(5T0]N( 

Heights 



BY ERNEST CRUIKSHANK. 












Lundy's Lane Historical Society. 



QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



A THRILLING NARRATIVE OF THE FAMOUS BATTLE WHERE GENERAL BROCK 
DIED DEFENDING HIS COUNTRY. 



BY ERNEST CRUIKSHANK. 



A LECTURE DELIVERED AT DRUMMONDVILLE, ONT., DEC. 

18, 1889. 



:PI^ICE lO CEHSTTS 



WELLAND : 



Printed by W. T. Sawle & Co., Telegraph Office. 
1890. 



Battle of Queenston Heights. 



[by ERNEST CRUIKSHANK.] 



Most Canadians are sufficiently familiar 
with the stately column which crowns the 
summit of Queenston Heights, and looks 
down upon an expanse of scenery which can 
scarcely be paralleled for variety and 
sublimity, save by the view from the edsje 
of the plateau, on which an obelisk marks 
the spot where "Wolfe died victorious." 
Most of them know, also, in a general way, 
why it was placed there, and that Brook 
died to preserve what Wolfe had died to 
conquer. 

It is not necessary to trace the march of 
events immediately succeeding the declara- 
tion of war by the United States, on the 
18th of June, ISI'2 ; how Brock cheered up 
the despondent, decided the wavering, and 
over-awed the disloyal among the inhabi- 
tants of the province by a settled policy, 
to use his own words, of "speaking loud 
and looking big ;" how, prevented bj' the 
express instructions of his superior from 
attacking the enemy beyond the Niagara, 
he assembled an enthusiastic body of volun- 
teers, and taking with him almost every 
regular soldier at his disposal, flew to repel 
the invader at the Detroit ; how he promptly 
determined to cross that river contrary to 
the opinion of his most trusted officers ; and 
how his audacity was rewarded by a com- 
plete and bloodless victory, is tolerably 
well known to every Canadian. 

But, while conquering at Detroit, he could 
not fail to be apprehensive that disaster 
might have befallen the weakened garrisons 
on the Niagara, and scarcely twenty-four 
hours were permitted to elapse before he 
was on his way thither, carrying with him 
all the troops that had accompanied or pre- 
ceded him from that quarter, fully alive to 
the truth of the Napoleonic maxim that "in 



war-time is everything." Brock hoped to 
duplicate his exploit by the capture of Fort 
Niagara and the dispersal of the forces as- 
sembled on thit frontier. That it would 
have been an easy task, there can now be no 
reasonable doubt, although superior in 
numbers, the American troops there were, 
by the admission of their commanders, in a 
very indifferent state of discipline, without 
any heavier ordnance than six pounders, 
and but few of them, and without artiller- 
ists. A few days later, when the true ex- 
tent of Brock's success was made known, 
their demoralization became complete. The 
most absurd rumors were believed and 
spread. Fugitives from Detroit, anxious to 
excuse their cowardice, gravely related that 
a hundred fiesh scalps had been deposited 
at Elliott'd feet, and that he had paid for 
them at the rate of six dollars each. Not 
only the Western Indians, but those resid- 
ing in Michigan and Canada were said to 
have taken the hatchet, and to be already 
on their way to devastate the border settle- 
ments of Ohio. The appearance of two 
British war-vessels on the south coast of 
Lake Erie threw the inhabitants of Chau- 
tauqua county into a paroxysm of terror. 
Fearful memories of Cherry Valley and 
Wyoming were recalled, and a general 
flight began. The militia became clamorous 
for paj', and sought furloughs under every 
possible pretext. When refused they feigned 
sickness or deserted. 

The intensity of Brock's disappointment 
may be imagined when he leiirned, on his 
arrival at Fort Erie, on the 22nd of August, 
that an arnustice had been proclaimed dve 
days before. Persistently hoping against 
hope that peace might be established with- 
out bloodshed, the Governoi -General of 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



Canada, as soon as he was informed of the 
repeal of the obnoxious orders in council 
assigned by the American government as 
the uliief cause ot their declaration of war, 
dispatched his Adjutant-General, Colonel 
Baynes, to General Dearborn, commander 
of the United States forces in the state of 
New York, who had his head(|uarters at 
Green Bush, near Albany, to propose a ces- 
sation of hostilities till the decision of the 
cabinet could be ascertained. He found 
Dearborn in a favorable humor. He had 
indeed been vaguely instructed to m^ke a 
diversion in fctvor ot General Hull upon the 
Niagara, but was in no position to assume 
the offensive there or elsewhere at that mo- 
ment. Most of the American merchant 
vessels on Like Ontario were blockaded at 
Ogdensburg. Sackett's Harbor, his principal 
naval station on that lake, was nearly de- 
fenceless, and had been threatened with an 
attack; the forces assembled on the Niagara 
were unprovided with artillery and necess- 
ary munitions of war. He readily assented 
to Baynes, proposals as far as the forces 
under his immediate command were con- 
cerned, as he could still continue his pre- 
parations for defence and invasion with 
entire freedom. But Hull was believed to 
be in full tide of success. It was confiiiently 
reported that he had taken Maiden and was 
marching up the Thames. Dearborn there- 
fore warily ueclined to extend the armistice 
to his operations. 

General Van Rensselaer, who commanded 
the American forces on the Niagai a, received 
the news with feelings of relief and satisfac- 
tion. Although refugees from Canada had 
assured him nearly a week before, that all 
the regular troops had been withdrawn from 
the posts opposite to meet (general Hull, he 
still remained incredulous and apprehensive 
of an attack, Yet his force already ex- 
ceeded two thousand men, of whom one- half 
were regulars. He perceived in an instant 
what an immense advantage might be de- 
rived from the cessation of hostilities, if the 
terms could be construed in such a way as 
to enable him to bring up troops and stores 
from Oswego and Sacketts Barbor, by water 
instead of by the tedious overland route. 
Unless this concession were secured the 
armistice would be of little immediate benefit 
to him. The agreement was so loosely 
worded as to leave this matter in doubt. 
His Adjutant- General was at once sent to 
Fort George with directions to insist on this 
interpretation. 

Colonel Christopher Myers had been left 
in command there by General Brock To 
garrison all the posts, he had less than threp 
hundred men of the 41st regiment The 



absentees of the flank companies of the 
Lincoln militia were called in and increased 
the number of militia in service to about 
four hundred. The remainder of the in- 
habitants were busily engaged in the harvest 
fields, but an additional draft of five hun- 
dred men were warned to hold themselves 
in readiness to march to his support. The 
two armed vessels. Prince Regent and Earl 
Moiza, were moored in the mouth of the 
river to protect his left flank, while the new 
schooner, Lady Prevost, was anchored off 
Fort Erie to assist in the defence of that 
post. Efforts to strengthen the fortifications 
along the entire line were continued as far 
as his means would permit. A day or two 
before the armistice was announced. Colonel 
Roger Sheaffe of the 49th, arrived and as- 
sumed command. Letters recently received 
from Prevost insisted on the policy of con- 
ciliating the enemy by every means in his 
power, and Sheafle Anally consented that 
both parties should enjoy the unrestricted 
navigation of Lake Ontario as long as the 
armistice continued, although an express 
from Detroit had informed him a few min- 
utes before of the capitulation of the eniire 
American army there. 

All the advantages secured so far by the 
superiority of the British squidron on Lake 
Ontario were thrown away by a stroke of 
the pen. The blockaded vessels at Ogdens- 
burg were removed to Sackett's Harbor to be 
armed, and troops and stores of all kinds 
hurried torward to Fort Niagara. Tidings 
of Brock's almost incredible success had 
preceded him, and as he rode down to Nia- 
gara he was met midway by many of the 
magistrates and principal inhabitants on 
horseback, who presented him with a con- 
gratulatory address, to which he replied 
with his characteristic readiness and tact, 
quietly disclaiming any personal credit, and 
ascribing his triumph to the fidelity and 
alacrity with which he had been supported 
by the people of the province and the stead- 
iness of the troops under his command. 
The volunteers that had accompanied him 
were filled with natural exultation, and 
their easy victory had inspired them with 
a certain amount of contempt for their 
enemies, which was rapidly comn.unicated 
to their friends and acquaintances. The 
arrival of the American general and the 
regulars of his army, a few d«ys later, be- 
came the signal for a frantic outburst of 
enthusiasm, and aged "loyalists who still 
nourished bitter memories of the Revolu- 
tion, proclaimed that Saratoga had been at 
last avenged. 

Quite as profound was the dismay oc- 
casioned in the minds of even the most san- 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



guine of his antagonists. "Three days ago," 
wrote Peter B. Porter, their quarter-mas- 
tergeneral, to the Governor of New York, 
"the heroes of Tippecanoe and the garrisons 
of Detroit and Mackinac, amounting to 
about 500, were marched like cattle from 
Fort Erie to Fort George, guarded by 
General Brock's regular troops with all the 
parade and pomp of British insolence, and 
we were incapacitated by the armistice and 
our ovvn weakness from giving them the re- 
lief they anxiously seemed to expect. With 
4000 men on this river, the whole of Upper 
Canada and the Indian country would have 
been in our possession Now, Detroit and 
a brave army taken, the Indians let loose 
upon our frontiers, the inhabitants flying in 
every direction. Brock with his army and 
Indians and thousands of inspirited Cana- 
dians, and a powerful train of field and 
garrison artillery taken at Detroit arrived 
on this frontier and ready to act. Indeed 
it is now reduced to a certainty that the in- 
habitants of this frontier are doomed to feel 
the scourge and desolation of the war. The 
hour that closes the armistice will bring 
ruin to most of them who live on this fron- 
tier. We have been daily amused for two 
months bj' news of heavy ordnance and 
flying artillery. They come as far as Utica 
and then disappear. This letter is written 
in a state of mind little short of distraction. 
Yesterday a number of men were shot at 
Fort George in view of our troops. They 
are supposed to be the unfortunate fellows 
who joined General Hull in Canada and 
were surrendered at Detroit, and for whose 
protection provision should have been made 
in the capitulation at the expense of the life 
of every man in the garrison. The public 
mind is wrought up almost to a pitch of 
madness. Jealousy and distrust begin to 
to prevail towards the general officers." 
John Lovell, private secretary of General 
Van Rensselaer, wrote about the same time 
to a friend: "Hull's surrender has cemented 
Canada beyond anything you can conceive. 
It has also a serious eS'eet on the Indians 
along the whole frontier. The sensation 
produced by the sight of prisoners marched 
pist is inexpressible." 

Under these circumstances it is not sur- 
prising that when General Dearborn, having 
learned that his government had peremp- 
torily declared to enter into fresh negotia- 
tions, and believing the rumor of the capture 
of Maiden, instructed Van Rensselaer to 
terminate the armistice at once, that 
the latter exercised the discretionary power 
allowed him of prolonging it until the last 
of his artillery had arrived. But when the 
last division of boats hove in sight, and all 



the benefit that could be reasonably ex- 
pected from its continuance had been se- 
cured, notice was given that it would end 
on the 8th of September. 

Four hundred batteaux loaded with 
artillery and stores had come in from Os- 
wego ; great qufintities ot provisions had 
been collected ; a large number of scows 
and boats suitable for the passage of the 
river had been built ; several thousand 
additional troops had arrived and more were 
on the march, yet the American general 
hesitated to assume the oS'ensive. The 
panic created by the surrender of Detroit 
had by that time reached Albany, and Dear- 
born wrote to warn himthatan attack upon 
his position was imminent. British troops 
had been seen ascending the St. Lawrence, 
and he mnst be prepared to tall back if hard 
pushed and not be caught in a trap like 
Hull. The disembarkation of detachments 
of soldiers both at Fort Erie and Niagara, 
close upon the heels of this information, 
alarmed and perplexed them. Colonel Fen- 
wick, commanding at Fort Niagara, report- 
ing that an attack was expected by him, the 
stores were removed, the siege-guns buried, 
and every preparation made for the hasty 
evacuation of the post, 

Stephen Van Rensselaer, who held chief 
command by virtue of his rank as Major- 
General of the New York state troops, was 
an utter novice in all military afl"airs and 
could scarcely even be termed an amateur 
soldier. The last patroon of Rensselaer- 
Wyck and the leading Federalist in the 
state, his appointment was a sharp stroke of 
party tactics on the part of the governor 
who discovered in him a prospective and 
dangerous opponent The recent Congres- 
sional elections had seemed to indicate that 
the Federalists had regained the confidence 
of the people of New York, and most of 
their leaders were uncompromising in their 
hostility to the war. If Van Ransselaer 
accepted, his immediate following would be 
committed to its prosecution ; if he refused, 
his conduct could be denounced as unpat- 
riotic. 

Five generations of the Van Rensselaers 
had reigned in the ancient manor-house near 
Albany, and their estates stretched along 
the Hudson from Barren Island to Cohoes, 
extending inland for twenty-five miles on 
either side of the river, and comprising a 
thousand square miles of territory. Under 
the Dutch governors they had assumed al- 
most regal state, exacting oaths of allegiance 
from their tenants, and they still maintained 
many of their feudal customs giving per- 
petual leases, receiving the rents in dozens 
of fowls ami bushels ot wheat and personal 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



service, and holding reguUr quarter sales, 
la the Congressional district in which 
Albany was situated their influence was 
paramount, and members of the family re- 
presented it for twenty years. Stephen, the 
present head of the house, was an amiable 
«nd benevolent but rather dull man of about 
fifty years of age. On all strictly military 
subjects, he was compelled to rely upon the 
advice of his Adjutant-General and cousin, 
Solomon Van Rensselaer who had been bred 
a soldier had served in the United 
States army for ten years, and had held his 
present appointment for as many more. He 
had been wounded in Wayne's campaign 
against the Indians, and possessed the re- 
putation of a brave and skilful officer. 

Remaining but a few hours at Niagara, 
the indefatigable Brock hurried on to King- 
ston where he inspected the militia, ex- 
amined the growing fortifications and wrote 
to Sir George Prevost for permission to 
attack Sackett's Harbor, where the Ameri- 
can shipping on Lake Ontario had taken 
refuge. With his present superiority upon 
the lake he assured him that its capture 
would be an easy matter. A portion of the 
American troops at Niagara would be 
probably recalled for its relief, and while 
they were marching overland he would sail 
up the lake and throw hia whole force 
against the posts they had left. But to the 
governor this daring scheme of operation 
seemed far too hazardous, and in reply he 
desired Brock not to provoke the enemy by 
needless annoyance, but remain strictly on 
the defensive, atfd even hinted that he 
had risked too much when he ventured to 
cross the river at Detroit. 

This plan having been rejected. Brock re- 
turned to Niagara where he found that Van 
Rensselaer had already given notice of the 
termination of the armistice. Lewiston 
Heights were whitened with the tents of a 
lar^e encampment. Other camps were vis- 
ible at Schlosser, Black Rock, and in rear 
of Fort Niagara. Batteries had been erected 
on the commanding ground opposite Fort 
George and at Lewiston, and armed with 
heavy guns. A large flotilla of boats, suit- 
able tor the transportation of troops, lay 
moored under the guns of the foit at the 
mouth of the river, and others had been 
taken up to Lewiston. Forty batteaux, 
each capable of carrying thirty men, were 
known to have been built in Tonawanda 
creek. Every day large bodies of men could 
be seen exercising and marching to and fro, 
attended by a numerous train of field artil- 
lery and detachments of cavalry. Every- 
thing pointed to an immediate attack, while 



Brock found himself at once greatly in want 
of otiScers, men, and artillery, and wrote to 
Prevost that he must have a thousand more 
regular soldiers to defend that frontier, and 
the latter replied, that not another man 
could be spared for Upper Canada 
under any circumstances. Without delay 
the British commander set to work to supply 
his lack of men and .neans with his wonted 
energy. Detachments of troops were ordered 
up from Kingston and down from Amherst- 
burg. Batteries were built and mounted 
with cannon taken from the tortifications of 
Detroit. An extensive system of beacons 
was established stretching from the Sugar 
Loaf and Point Abino along the lake 
and river to Lundy's Lane and Queenston, 
and thence inland to Pelham Heights, by 
which the movements of the enemy could be 
instantaneously signalled over the entire 
peninsula by night or day. Two thousand 
captured muskets and the accoutrements cf 
Hull's regular troops were distributed among 
the militia of the province. Hia tireless 
activity and watchfulness excited the ad- 
miration even of his enemies. "I send you 
Brock's seal," Lovett wrote to a friend, 
"with his appropriate motto ; 'He who 
guards, never sleeps.'" Earthworks of 
some description were constructed on every 
commanding point along the river from 
Qaeeuston to its mouth, and at any menac- 
ing movement of their troops, alarm guns 
were fired and horsemen galloped out in 
every direction. 

Nor were the embarassments of the British 
general, from lack of clothing and ready 
money, less annoying and serious. A num- 
ber of the wealthier inhabitants, who formed 
themselves into a company known as the 
"Queenston and Niagara Association," had 
at that critical moment in July, when the 
fate of the proyioce hung in the balance, 
loaned him several thousand pounds of ready 
money which enabled him to eijuip his ex- 
pedition for the relief of Maiden. The con- 
tents of General Hull's military chest and 
ten thousand dollars sent him by the Gov- 
ernor-General had enabled him to satisfy 
the most pressing demands since. But the 
pay of his troops, both regulars and militia, 
was several months in arrears, ind they 
were unable to obtain the most trifling 
article without paying cash for it. They 
were without tents or camp utensils of any 
description. Their clothing hung about 
them in tatters ; their shoes were in holes; 
and they always suffered dreadfully from 
cold and wet, yet their patience and cheer- 
fulness excited his warmest praise. With the 
exception of a few men from the militia 
who generally went to their homes and 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



afterwards rejoined their companies, there 
were scarcely any desertions. 

On the other side ot the river bodies of 
fresh troops were constantly arriving, but 
their militia was represented as 
being very much dissatisfied and extremely 
inefficient. Sickness prevailed in their 
camps and funerals were daily observed. 
Several men of the 6th United States In- 
fantry deserted in a body and attempted to 
swim the river, six of whom perished in 
sight of both armies. Undeterred by the 
fate of his unfortunate comrades, another 
man of the same regiment plunged in next 
day and swam over amid a shower of bullets 
Two companies that had arrived during the 
armistice, each consisting of sixty men, he 
said, had already been reduced one half by 
desertion. 

By the middle of September, two com- 
panies of the Royal Newfoundland and six 
of the 49th regiment arrived from Kingston, 
and ninety men of the 4l8t came down from 
Detroit. These slender reinforements were 
ostentatiously paraded in view of the enemy 
as they arrived and marched from place to 
place with marked effect as we have already 
observed. Three hundred Indians had come 
in and two hundred more were promised, 
but Brock placed little dependance upon 
auxiliaries of such uncertain temperament. 
"They may serve to intimidate," he said, 
"but no effective service can be expected 
from this degenerate race " To Preyost he 
wrote that there was no doubt great discon- 
tent existed among the American forces, 
"and much might be done, but keeping in 
mind Your Excellency's instructions, and 
aware of the policy of permitting such a 
force to dwindle away by its own inefficient 
means, I do not contemplate any immediate 
attack." But to his brother a few days 
later he disclosed his reitl impatience at his 
forced inactivity. "My instructions oblige 
me to adopt defensive measures, and i have 
evinced greater forbearance than was ever 
practiced on any former occasion. It is 
thought that without aid of the sword, the 
American people may be brought to a due 
sense of their interests. I firmly believe 
that at this moment I could sweep every- 
thing before me from Fort Niagara to Buf- 
falo, but my success would be transient." 

In fact the arrival of his reinforcements 
had almost produced a panic in the Ameri- 
can camp. Party strife raged among the 
officers with unabated fury. Porter and his 
friends styled the commanding general a 
traitor, while Soloman Van Rensselaer an- 
nounced his intention of publishing Porter 
as "a poltroon, coward, and scoundrel," In 
this dilemma General Dearborn suggested 



that the Governor of the state should 
assumed supreme command himself and 
march thither with as large a force 
of militia as he could assemble, while he en- 
deavored to draw off part of the British 
troops by a movement towards Montreal by 
way of Lake Champlain. Tompkins was too 
shrewd a politician to peril his reputation by 
such a step, but he displayed great vigor in 
pushing forward troops, and stores, and in- 
vested Van Rensselaer with authority to 
call out an almost unlimited number of 
militia from the neighboring counties. 
Dearborn at the siime time dispatched regi- 
ment after regiment of regular troops to 
Van Rensselaer's assistance, while the sec- 
retary of war sent sailors to equip and man 
the boats and vessels at Buffilo, and was 
urging forward another army to recover 
Detroit. Two thousand men from Pennsyl- 
vania were at the same time ordered to 
march to the Niagara. 

There long continued efforts to enlist the 
Indians residing in New York and Pennsyl- 
vania actively on their side now promised 
to be successful. Already in July Erastus 
Granger, the American Indian agent for the 
state of New York, held a council with the 
Senecas at Buffalo, during which he pro- 
posed that they should permit two hundred 
of their young men to join the American 
army, 'i'his they refused to do, but con- 
sented to send some of their chiefs to Grand 
river to dissuade the Indiana from joining 
the British. In this mission they were un- 
successful, but Granger appears to have 
represented to his government that they 
were anxious to be employed themselves, 
for as early as the 27th of July, the secre- 
tary of war wrote to Dearborn, enclosing a 
letter to Granger, authorizing him to or- 
ganize the warriors of the Six Nations con- 
ditionally. At this time it was quite im- 
possible for him to know that any 
Indians had joined the British. About the 
middle of September Van Rensselaer held a 
grand council with the Tuscaroras, and ad- 
vantage was craftily taken of the appearance 
of a British scouting party upon Grand 
Island, which was still the property of the 
Senecas, to excite alarm amongst them lest 
they should be deprived of these lands. 
They were induced to declare war formally, 
and Red Jacket pompously announced they 
would put 3000 warriors in the field. Sev- 
eral hundred Indians were also brought 
down from the Alleghany river and a great 
feast and war dance held in the streets of 
Buffalo. Almost at the instant that these 
events were taking place, the secretary 
ag-iin wrote to Dearborn : — "By letters re- 
ceived from Erastus Granger it appears that 



P.ATTLE OF (QUEENS TON HEIGHTS. 



the young men ot the Six Nations can no 
longer be restrained, and that in case of 
refusal on the part of the Uuited States to 
accept their services they would join the 
Indians under the British standard. Mr. 
Granger has therefore been authorized, 
after every attempt to secure their neu- 
trality has failed, to employ them. ' In singu- 
lar CDUtradictiou to the statements contained 
in this letter stands a speech delivered at 
the ancient council ground of the Six 
Nitions by sixteen chiefs, representing five 
tiibes of tlie confederacy distributed as far 
west as Tonawanda, on the 29th of Septem- 
ber. "Having been told repeatedly by your 
agents to remain neutral, we were very 
much surprised at the council held at Buf- 
falo Creek, at beins inviced to take up the 
tomahawk. We are not unfriendly to the 
United States but are few in number, and 
can do but little, but are willing to do what 
we can, and if you sny so we will go with 
your people to battle. We are anxious to 
know your wishes as soon as possible, be- 
cause we are afraid some of our young men 
may disperse among distant tribes and be 
hostile to you." By the beginning of Octo- 
ber it is certain that about 300 warriors 
joined Van Rensselaer's army, but they 
seemed to have sent some apologetic mes- 
sage to the allied tribes in the British ser- 
vice, for these assured Brock that they 
would not act against him with any spirit. 
"So 1 imagine," he observed with his ac 
customed shrewdness, "if we continue to 
show a bold front, but in the event of a 
disaster the love of plunder will prevail in a 
manner to be the most dreaded by the in- 
habitants of tiiis country." 

The American militia were constantly in 
the habit of stealing down to the river and 
firing at the British sentries, the batteries 
and private houses on the opposite bank, 
and excited an intense and almost ferocious 
feeling of hatred among the troops under 
Brock's command, but he had the satis- 
faction of being able to report at the end of 
two months of incessant annoyance and 
alarm, that his regulars had not been di- 
minished by a single death at the hands ot 
the enemy, n6r by a solitary desertion, and 
that his entire force was in good health and 
spirits in spite of their privations. A letter 
from a spy, apparently residing near Fort 
Erie, to General Van Rensselaer. gives a very 
striking picture of the situation and feelings 
of the people at this time. "General Brock," 
he remarks, "has paid attention to every 
particular that can relate to the future re- 
sources of the province under his charge as 
well as to its immediate defence. The har- 
vest has been got in tolerably well and 



greater preparation is made for sowing fall 
grain than ever before. The militia law is 
modified as much as possible to suit the cir- 
cumstances of the people, and meisurea 
tsken to prevent theui feeling the burden of 
the war. The women work in the fields, 
encouragement being given for that purpose. 
When Hull's proclamation appeared it had 
its effect, there being security promised for 
private property, and the people would 
willingly have submitted, but when it was 
founrl that private property was seized 
without compensation the public sentiment 
entirely oh mged. The success of General 
Brock established the general sentiment ; he 
has since made the most of it, has become 
persoually highly popular ; in short, has 
taken every measure that a judicious officer 
will take in his circumstances for the secur- 
ity of the provincs. A determination now 
prevails among the people to defend the 
country." 

No dread of impending disaster ever 
damped his spirits or abated his activity. 
Impressibly sanguine himself he possessed 
the rare faculty of imbuing all who came in 
contact with him with unbounded confidence 
in his abilities and respect for his character, 
ro maintain his position in the force of the 
overwhelming numbers gathering in his 
front might at times have seemed well nigh 
hopeless, yet no sign of despondency ever 
appeared in his manner or conversation. 
His wonted sagacity was displayed in the 
selection of members of hia military family. 
John McDonnell, the attorney-general of 
the province and M. P. P. for Glengarry, 
and .lames GiviQS,of the Indian department, 
a man thoroughly familiar with the language 
and customs of the Indians of the province, 
were appointed provincial aides-de camp. 
Robert Nichol, a millionaire of Port Dover, 
who knew intimately every part of the 
country between the Niagara and Detroit 
and almost every man in it, was made 
assistant quartermaster -general. 

When tne assembly was prorogued an 
address to the people ot the province had 
been prepared and signed by nearly the 
whole of the members, urging them to de- 
fend their country and pledging their aid 
and advice in the cause, and most of theni 
had now taken the field in some cipacity. 
Many of the surviving loyalists, too old and 
feeble to bear the fatigue of a campaign, 
tendered their services to perform garrison 
duty. 

The weather had been extremely dis- 
couraging. .July had been excessively hot 
and dry, but August brought floods of rain. 
Wheat sprouted in the fields after bfing 
reaped and much of the harvest was ruined. 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



September as a rule proved cool and pleisant, 
biic October was ushered in by furious 
storms, and sudden changes of temperature 
which prevented most of the Indian corn 
from maturing, and blighted the lingering 
hopes of the farmers. 

Besides several large scows for the 
transport of cannon, the Americans had 
begun to build three gun-boats at Black 
Ri)ck, the destruction ot which Brock 
frankly confessed he would have attempted 
had he not been restrained by his inslruc- 
tions. The Indians were strictly prohibited 
from crossing the river under any pretence, 
and were closely watched and guarded. A 
party which arrived from the west to v'sit 
Colonel Claus.bi iuging with them a bundleof 
scalps, were sharply rebuked and pledged 
not to ofl'rind in that way again These 
rigid precautions had the etfecc of diminish- 
ing the number of those with the army 
until it did not much exceed one hundred. 

A variety ot motives absolutely forced 
General Van Rensselaer to assume the 
offensive. During [September six regiments 
of regular infantry, live of New York 
miliiia, a battalion of rifles and several 
batteries of artillery had joined his army. 
The Pennsylvania contingent had assembled 
at Meadville on the '20th, and was marching 
to Buffalo. Forage and provisions had 
already begun to grow scarce, and the 
autumn rains would undoubtedly increase 
the ravages of disease already trightfully 
prevalent among his militia. Dearborn 
strongly urged him to attempt the 
passage of the river, as he declared they 
must reckon upon obtaining possession of 
Upper Canada before the winter set in, 
assuring him at the same time that Hanison 
would invade the province by way of 
Detroit with six or seven thousand men, 
while another strong body of troops was 
already assembled at Sackett's Harbor, 
w here a squadron was fitting out to contest 
possession of Like Ontario, and he, in 
person, would thi eaten Montreal from Like 
CJhaniplain. The ultimate success of these 
operatnms he regarded as almost certain, 
l)u^ he warned him that much would depend 
on his movements on the JNingara. Monroe, 
tSecretary of State, openly ascribed the in- 
actnity of the armies in New York to the 
effects of disaffection, which he declared 
had paralyzed the efforts of the administra- 
tion and rendered the measures of Congress 
inoperative. The militia now clamored 
loudly to be led against the enemy, and did 
not hesitate to acjuse their commander of 
lukewarmness and cowardice, while some of 
their officers announced their inteu 
lion of invading Cxnada without waiting 



for orders from him, yet a trifling incident 
served to indicate how little dependence 
was to be placed on their assistence. A 
sentinel near Schlosseh was shot on his beat 
in the night by some unknown person, and 
an entire company instantly threw away 
their arms and took to their heels, never 
stopping till they had gained the main 
camp at Lewiston. Early in October he 
summoned a council of war, to which he in- 
vited General Smyth, who had just taken 
command ot a brigade of regular troops at 
Buffalo ; General Hall, of the New York 
militia, and the commandant of each regi 
ment of United States troops. Smyth 
showed his contempt for the militia general 
under whom he was forced to serve by 
neglecting to attend or even to apologize for 
his absence. Van Rensselaer had intended 
to concentrate the whole of his regular 
troops near Fort Niagara and the militia at 
Lewiston, and attempt the passage of the 
river simultaneously at both places, but 
in consec[uence of Smyth's misconduct this 
scheme was abandoned and he determined 
to cross from the latter place, only as he 
felt satisfied that the forces he had already 
assembled then were amply sufficient for 
the purpose. ^ taffofficers, under one pre- 
text and another, had visited the British 
lines and the result of their observations 
coupled with information received from hia 
spies had made him pretty thoroughly ac- 
quainted with the members and composition 
of the forces opposed to him. 

No doubt was entertained of at least 
partial success. He confldently anticipated 
being able to secure a foothold in Canada 
where he could establish his army in winter- 
quarters and prepare for an early campaign 
next year. More than eight thousand 
troops were assembled under his command 
of whom about half were regulars. Three 
hundred artillery and eight hundred regu- 
lar infantry occupied Fort Niagara, and 
nine hundred regular soldiers and "2,270 
New York militia were encamped near 
Lewiston. At Buffalo General Smyth had 
1,650 regular troops, three hundred and 
eighty six detached militia, two hundred 
and fifty sailors, and four hundred Indians 
besides the local militia. Part of the 
Pennsylvania brigade of two thousand men 
had also arrived. Many batteaux and flat- 
bottomed boats were in readiness at Black 
Rock, Tonawanda, and Gill's Creek above 
the Falls, and at Lewiston and Four Mile 
Creek below, and a sufficient number could 
be collected at any given point in a few 
hours to carry over a thousand men. His 
train of field artillery was large and well- 
equipped. 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



To resist this formidable army, Brock had 
fifteen companies of regular infantry, which 
may have mustered sixty rank and file each; 
two otficera and thirty men of the Royal 
artillery, with five field guns ; a troop of 
militia drivers, and a troop of Provincial 
Cavalry, besides the flank companies of the 
five Lincoln and two York battalions of 
militia. The fourteen flank companies 
probably did not average more than thirty- 
five officers and men each, or less than five 
hundred in all. The muster rolls of the 
five Lincoln battalions show a total of nearly 
two thousand men, but these were scattered 
over the twenty townships then composing 
the country, comprising the entire peninsula 
from Burlington Bay to the mouth of 
Grand river. Perhaps five hundred of these 
could be readily assembled at a few hours 
notice. Most of the Indians had dispersed 
to their hunting-grounds. The exigencies 
of the transport-service on the lakes had 
obliged the Biitish general to send away 
the armed vessels which had formerly 
served the flank of his position, and to 
watch a frontier which practically extended 
from the Sugar Loaf on Lake Erie to tour 
Mile Creek on Lake Ontario, and to occupy 
the numerous posts and batteries between 
and maintain communication over a line of 
sixty miles, he had actually less than a 
thousand regular troops and six hundred 
militia, with a reserve of possibly six hun- 
dred militia and Indians Half of this 
force was scarcely adequate to garrison Fort 
George and the adjacent batteries, and a 
body of troops could hardly be marched from 
one end of his line to the other in less than 
two days. The concentration of large 
bodies of men near Fort Niagara and Buf- 
falo, where great numbers of boats were 
collected, forced Brock to weaken his 
centre and strengthen his wings, anticipat- 
ing that an attempt would be made to turn 
either flank and land troops a few miles in 
rear of the works protecting it. Four 
companies of the 49th, two of the 
Royal Newfoundland regiment, tour 
of militia and a small detachment of 
Royal artillery, occupied Fort Erie, and 
a series of batteries extending as low 
as Frenchman s Creek ; four companies of 
militia and one company of the 41st were 
posted along the river between that point 
and Chippawa ; the flank companies of the 
49th and two of the York militia held the 
batteries near Qiieenston ; the earthworks 
at Brown's and Field's points were each 
guarded by a militia company, while the 
remaining companies of the 49th and 
Lincoln militia, and the field guns were 
quartered in and about Fort George. A 



chain of outposts and patrols maintained 
constant communication between all these 
posts, and the Indians were held in reserve 
in small parties several miles in rear. As 
the number of regular artillerymen was quite 
insulEcient to work even the field-guns in 
their possession, a corps of volunteer 
gunners had been formed partly from the 
regular infantry and partly from the militia 
under Captains Kerby and Swayze. 

The quality of these troops was unques- 
tionably superior to that of any likely to be 
brought against them. The 41st contained 
a large proportion of young recruits, but 
was a fine body of men, and although the 
men of the 49th had been ten years in the 
country, drinking rum without bounds, 
they were still respectable and ardent. The 
flank companies of militia were generally 
composed of picked men and had attained a 
very creditable degree of discipline. 

The successful result of an attack upon 
two small armed vessels at Fort Erie served 
to raise the spirts of V^an Rensselaer's army 
in a remarkable degree, and was actually 
a serious blow to their opponent's wing to 
the extreme scarcity of provisona apart 
from the loss of the vessels. This occurred 
early on the morning of the 9 h October, 
and Brock arrived on the spot before sunset, 
but having apparently satisfied himself that 
no immediate attempt to cross the river was 
contemplated there, returned to Niagara 
next day. This hurried journey had the 
effect of fastening Van Rensselaer's move- 
ments, for a spy returned to his camp with 
information that Biock had left Niagara in 
great haste and was supposed to have gone 
to Detroit. Encouraged by this report, and 
feeling, as he expressed it, "That the 
national character is degraded and the dis- 
grace will remain corroding the public feel- 
ing and spirit until another campaign, un- 
less it be wiped away by a brilliant exploit 
in this," he determined to strike while the 
enthusiasm of his troops was at its heat over 
the recent exploit, and fixed the hour and 
place for crossing the river for three o'clock 
next morning at Queenston. The stream was 
there at its narrowest ; a ferry had been 
established for years, and although the 
current was swift, the navigation was well 
ascertained and an indifferent oarsman 
could pull across in less than ten minutes. 
His artillery, superior in numbers and 
calibre, could cover the landing from the 
high groui:d above Lewiston, where batteries 
had already been thrown up. 

Accordingly the regulars from Fort Ni- 
agara, and strong detachments from Buffalo, 
were ordered to join the main-body at Lew- 
iston before midnight, and boats sufficient 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



to contain 500 men were secretly brought 
overland from Gill's Creek, A furious storm 
of wind and rain swept over his camp while 
the troops were drawn up in readiness to 
enter the boats, and the pilot of the expedi- 
tion deserted in the darkness. In conse- 
quence the attack was postponed. The rain 
continued with unabated violence tor twenty 
eight hours until the roads became almost 
impassible. Van Rensselaer then desired 
to wait a few days in the hope of reverting 
to his original plan, but the impatience of 
his troops seemed to be increased by their 
recent failure, and the pressure brought to 
bear upon him was too great to be with- 
stood. His force was now still further in- 
creased by the arrival of three hundred and 
fifty regular soldiers under Lieut. Ool. Chry- 
stie at Four Mile Creek, east of Fort Ni- 
agara. The appearance of these boats and 
the detention of a large force near that place 
led Brock to believe that an attempt would 
be made to land to the westward of Niagara 
and prevented him from reinforcing the de- 
tachments at Qaeenston, and though he had 
become aware of the attempt to cross the 
river there, he regarded it simply as a feint 
to divert his attention from the true point 
of attack. The evident activity of the enemy 
near Buffalo at the same time restrained 
him from weakening the right of his ex- 
tended line. 

The river as it issues from the gorge at 
Queenston is barely six hundred feet in 
width, and flows at the rate of about four 
miles an hour. The clifls which wall it in 
above are almost perpendicular, yet on the 
Canadian side, in many places, were so over- 
grown and almost concealed, by shrubs and 
trees, which struck their roots into the clefts 
and crannies of the rocks, as to make it 
possible for an ordinarily active man to 
climb up with little difficulty from the 
water's edge to the summit. A few hun- 
dred yards west of the landing stood the 
village, consisting of a stone barracks and 
about twenty scattered dwellings surrounded 
by gardens and orchards. The waggon-road 
leading from Niagara formed the principal 
street and wound up the heights beyond. 
Another road, commencingf at the landing 
and crossing this at right angles, led to St. 
Davids, throwing off a branch which as- 
cended the heights about a mile to west- 
ward, and finally united with the portage 
road above. In the angle formed by the in- 
tersection of these two roads at the south- 
east corner of the village stood the large 
stone house of the Hon, Robert Hamilton 
with its walled courtyard and substantial 
outbuildings The adjacent plain was 
dotted with many farmhouses near the roads, 



and the fields were generally enclosed by 
ordinary rail-fences diversified, near the foot 
of the heights by an occasional low stone 
wall. Half-way up the side of the mountain 
a small redan battery had been built with 
its angle fronting the river and armed with 
an eighteen-pounder, and at Brooman's 
Point, nearly a mile below, a twenty-four 
pound gun had been mounted en hazbette on 
a crescent shaped earthwork commanding, 
although at very long range, both landings, 
and the breadth of the river between. Capt. 
Williams with the light company of the 49th 
was stationed at the redan, and the grena- 
diers of the same regiment under Capt. 
James Dennis and Chisholm's company of 
the 2Qd Yorks were quartered in the village. 
Outposts and sentries watched the river from 
the landing to Brooman's Point which was 
occupied by Capt. Samuel Hatt's company 
of the 5th Lincoln. The entire force of 
regulars and militia distributed about 
Queenston did noc exceed two hundred men. 
Cameron's and Howard's companies of York 
militia lay at Brown's Point, three miles 
distant, but there were no other regular 
troops nearer than Fort George. 

Fatigue duty and frequent alarms had 
begun to tell upon the health and spirits of 
the men, and at dark on the evening of the 
1 1th Brock leirned with concern that some 
men of the 49th had become insubordinate 
and even threatened the lives of their 
officers, but an inquiry showed that their 
misconduct was caused by drink, and they 
were liberated with a reprimand. 

All that day and the next, parties of 
influence lined the opposite shore and tired 
incessantly at any living thing that met 
their eye on the Queenston side. The houses 
near the river were riddled by their fire, 
and even a boat bearing a flag of truce be- 
came a target for their bullets. 

In a battery, named Fort Gray above the 
village of Lewiston, two eighteen-pounders 
were mounted with the intention of silen- 
cing the gun in the redan, and two mortars 
and the same number of six-poundera were 
planted on the bank of the river to cover 
the landing and drive the British out of 
Queenston. Chrystie's and Fenwick's regi- 
ments of regulars from Fort Niagara, and 
three militia battalions from Schlossen were 
marched to L3wiston by inland roads after 
dark on the evening of the 12th, and long 
before the appointed hour of three o'clock 
more than 4,000 men were assembled there 
without exciting attention. Twelve boats, 
each of which could carry thirty men, and 
two others having a capacity of eighty each, 
manned by veteran fishermen familiar with 
the river, were moored at the landing. Tlie 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



night was intensely dark, rain was still fall- 
ing gPDtly, and the winds and the roaring 
of the river drowned the sound of their 
movements. Everything seemed to conspire 
to favor their enterprise. 

Col. V'an Rensselaer had originally been 
selected to command the advance-guard, but 
when Chrystie arrived, he stubbornly refused 
to waive his rank and it was then agreed 
that he should lead a column of three hun- 
dred regular troops, while V^an Rensselaei* 
headed an equal number of militia. The 
militia composing this detachment were ac- 
cordingly chosen with great care from 
among the best drilled men, and by their 
commander at least, were believed to be 
superior to the United States troops in 
point of discipline. Forty picked men of 
the regular artillery conducted by Lieut. 
Gausevoort, all of whom had long been 
quartered at Fort Niagara and knew the 
river well, were selected to head the other 
column and were followed by four compan- 
ies of the 13th United States infantry, which 
was regarded as one of the crack regiments 
of their army. Next in succession. Col. 
Fenwick and Major MuUany were to cross 
with 550 regulars, then an equal number of 
militia and so on in order until the entire 
division consisting of the 6th, 13th, and 
'23rd United States infantry, detachments 
ot three regular artillery regiments, a bat- 
talion of volunteer riflemen, and the 16th, 
17th, 18tb, 19th, and "iOth regiments of New 
York militia had been passed over. The 
artillerymen, well provided with matches 
and rammers to work the captured guns,rtnd 
a detachment of engineers was detailed to 
fortify a position as soon as it was taken. 
The number of officers and men exceeded 
four thousand of whom at least fifteen hun- 
dred were regulars, and barring accidents, 
the whole force might be ferried over in 
seven trips. The two largest boats were 
also fitted with platforms on which a field- 
piece with its carriage could be loaded. 

In leas than a quarter of an hour from the 
time the boats pushed off, ten of them con- 
veying three hundred men, reached the op- 
posite shore at the exact spot selected for 
effecting a landing, quite unperceived by the 
sentries. Three others, among them the 
two largest, were carried down by the cur- 
rent, and of these only the smaller one suc- 
ceeded in landing below, while the two 
others returned by command of Col. Chry- 
stie to their own shore to make a fresh start. 
Most of those who had landed were regular 
troops, comprising the detachment of artil- 
lery and three entire compinies of the 13th 
infantry, and having sent back the boats to 
bring over the next detachment. Van 



Rensselaer assumed the command in the 
absence of Chrystie, and attempted to form 
up his men before advancing further. Their 
presence was then for the first time dis- 
covered by a militia sentry, who was so 
agitated by the fact, that instead of firing 
his musket at once, he ran into the main 
guard to give the alarm. In a few minutes 
Captain Dennis advanced towards the land- 
ing with forty-six men of his own company 
and a few of the militia, and tound the 
enemy still in much confusion. His first 
volley fell upon them, as it proved, with 
fital precision. Van Rensselaer himself was 
struck down with six wounds, several com- 
pany officers and a number of men were 
killed or disabled, and the entire body re- 
tired to the water's edge where they were 
partially sheltered by the steep bank. 

The batteries at Lewiston, where the gun- 
ners had been waiting with matches burning 
for the signal, instantly opened fire, the 
first round from their heavy guns being 
aimed at the redan, but when the glare of 
the musketry disclosed the position of a 
small body of British infantry near the land- 
ing, all six guns were turned upon it, and 
Dennis drew his men back under the shelter 
of the houses of the village. In this brief 
encounter the loss of the Americans was 
subsequently stated to have been eight 
officers and forty-five men killed or 
wounded. 

The gunners in the redan and at Broo- 
man's Point began firing at random in the 
diiection of the Lewiston landing, in the 
hope of striking some of the boats, and 
Lieut. Crowther of the 41st, brought up a 
tiny three-pounder field-piece or grasshopper 
to sweep the road to the river. Van Rensse- 
laer, being quite disabled by his wounds, 
was taken back to Lewiston, and the com- 
mand devolved upon Capt. .)ohn E. Wool. 
of the 13th, a brave but young and inexperi- 
enced officer, who for more than two hours 
seems to have been quite satisfied to retain 
his foothold beside the river, while the 
batteries behind him were fast wrecking the 
village of Queenston. His men, however, 
maintained a brisk but harmless fire from 
the shelter of the bank. Reinforcements 
were pushed over to his assistance, but mis- 
fortune still attended them. Two boats 
loaded with men were swept far out of their 
course by the current. One of these, com- 
manded by Lieut. Col. Fenwick of the 
artillery, struggled ashore in the coye below 
(.^ueenston and attempted to ascend the 
bank there. They were at once attacked ; 
Fenwick reciived a pistol-shot in the face 
which partially blinded him, besides two 
other wounds, and was taken prisoner with 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



most of his men. The other boat drifted 
fairly within range of Brootnan's battery 
and was taken there. The river being so 
narrow many objects could be distinguahed 
upon the opposite shore when lit up by the 
flashing of the artillery, and the shouts and 
shrieks of the combatants 30uld be occasion- 
ally heard by thousands of interested spec- 
tators at Lewiston. Within half an hour 
after landing Wool's force was doubled by 
the arrival of two other companies of the 
13ch, forty artillerymen under Lieut. Ran- 
dolph, dnd a detachment of militia, and all 
the wounded men were removed, but no 
officer of superior rank came to assume com- 
mand. 

The gun in the redan continued to throw 
shells at hazard into the river with little 
result beyond making the enemy's troops re- 
luctant to enter the boats, although an 
officer is said to have been killed at Lewis- 
ton by one of them, and the darkaess and 
distance rendered the twenty-four-pounder 
at Brooman's quite ineffective. On the 
other hand, round shot from the Lewiston 
batteries soon reduced Hamilton's house to 
a mere heap of ruins, and drove Crowther's 
toy gun out of range, while the mortars 
pitched their shells into the village, and 
their field-pieces searched the gardens and 
orchards with grape. The movements of 
the remainder of their troops continued, 
however, to be remarkably dilatory. The 
arrival of the wounded perhaps had some- 
thing to do with this, and the mirch of a 
considerable body of militia was arrested by 
the sudden illness of their commanding 
officer At all events, boats remained lying 
idle on both shores. 

Being convinced by unmistakeable signs 
that an attack was meditated within a day 
or two, Brock had been engaged till mid- 
night in despatching orders for the assembly 
of the militia. It was no surprise then for 
him to be aroused shortly after ten o'clock 
by the distant boom of artillery up the 
river. He rose at once, but still adhering 
to his opinion that the true attack would 
not be there, he remarked that it was only 
a war between the sentries. The steady 
cannonade and blctzing beacons alone the 
heights convinced him at length that this 
was something more serious, and he mounted 
his horse and rode out of the gate just as a 
dragoon galloped up to announce that the 
enemy had landed at Queenston. As it 'vas 
not uncertain whether another landing was 
not intended in the vicinity of Niagara, the 
British general contented himself with giv- 
ing instructions for Captain Holcroft to 
follow him with two guns and a party of 
Indians, while the remainder of the garrison 



remained under arms in readiness to act in 
any direction until daylight more fully dis- 
closed the designs of the enemy, and then 
set off at full speed, accompanied only by 
Captain Glegg and Lieut. -Col. McDonnell. 
At Field's and Brown's Point he paused for 
an instant to direct the militia companies 
quartered there to follow him, leaving be- 
hind only a sufficient number of men to 
man the batteries at each place. 

Day dawned grey and chiU with a thin 
fog rising from the river. Four boats filled 
with men were then seen to push otf 
Lewiston, and at the same instant the head 
of a column of troops appeared above the 
bank at the Queenston landing. Dennis 
hastily called down the light company by 
sound of the bugle from the heights to his 
support, and concentrated his fire on this 
force, which very soon retired a^ain under 
cover of the bank, where their movements 
were almost entirely screened from view, 
although they had lost a few men by the 
random fire of the light company during the 
morning. 

Observing that the battery on the heights 
was now occupied only by a few men work- 
ing the gun, Lieut. Gausevoort pointed out 
a narrow fisherman's path leading around 
a rocky point and winding upwards to the 
summit, and suggested that a detachment 
might giin the rear of the British position 
unobserved by this route. Although 
already bleeding from more than one wound, 
Wool eagerly adopted the proposal which 
had also been favored by Van Rensselaer, 
and leaving a hundred men to occupy the land- 
ing and engage the attention of the British 
in that quarter, he instanly began the 
ascent at the head of the remainder, giving 
strict orders to an officer to shoot any man 
who attempted to turn back. 

At this instant Brock rode into the vil- 
lage splashed with mud from head to foot. 
He was at once recognized and welcomed 
with a hearty cheer by the men of tne 49th, 
in which regiment he had risen from sub- 
alteran to colonel Reining in his horse for 
a moment to acknowledge their salute, he 
rode up the slope to the redan and there 
dismounted. 

A striking scene presented itself to his 
gaze. A single glanced showed him 
battalion upon battalion of troops drawn up 
in rear of the American batteries in readi- 
ness to embark ; other detachments were 
entering their boats, some already upon 
the river, and an uncertain number in pos- 
session of the Queenston landing. Their 
guns were pouring round and grape shot 
into the enclosures of the village where 
Dennis still contrived to maintain a foot- 



14 



BATTLE OF QUEENS TON HEIGHTS. 



hold, and an occasional shell from their 
mortar battery rose shrieking into the air. 
So far everything seemed to promise well. 
The party that had landed had not gamed 
an inch of ground in three hours, and near 
a hundred prisoners bad been taken with 
small loss. 

Watching intently the flight of a shell 
from the gun beside him, he observed that 
it burst prematurely, and turning to the 
gunner, Brock advised him to try a larger 
fuse. The Aords were scarcely out of his 
mouth when a loud shout rose from the 
hillside above, accompanied by a volley of 
bullets whistling overhead, and a body of 
the enemy came charging down upon the 
rear of the battery. Resistance was out of 
the question, and there was no time even to 
mount, so leading their horses by the bridle 
the three officers ran hastily down the road 
to the village followed by the dozen men 
working the gun, who fortunately had suf- 
ficient presence of mind to spike it before 
they came away. 

All this was plainly visibly to the troops 
at Lewiston, whose shouts could be heard 
amid the roar of the c nnon as their flag 
rose over the battery, and they pressed 
down eagerly to the boats. It was now 
evident that the principal and probably the 
only attack was to be made here, and Brock 
despatched a hurried message to SheafiFe at 
Fort George to turn every gun that would 
bear upon the American batteries opposite, 
and send forward the battalion companies 
of the 41st and flank companies of militia. 
Then mounting his horse he rode at a gallop 
to the farther end of the village, where the 
light company of the 49ch was drawn up in 
line awaiting orders. Again he was received 
with a loud cheer, and wheeling his horse 
in the direction of the heights, he exclaimed, 
"Follow me, boys," and led them at a run 
to the foot of the ascent. There he paused 
and dismounted, saying : "Take breath, 
boys — you will need it in a few moments," 
a significant announcement, which provoked 
another hearty shout. 

The crest of the heights was densely 
wooded in most places, and their sides 
dotted with clumps of small trees and 
shrubs richly spangled with the crimson, 
russet and golden tints of autumn. These 
thickets in combination with the natural 
inequality of the ground furnished excellent 
cover for the American riflemen. The 
redan was occupied by the main body of 
their troops, but they were unable to make 
any use of the captured gun. Freshly 
landed men were already ascending to their 
assistance, and the mortar battery had 
begun to throw sheila in the direction of 



Brock's party in the hope of checking its 
advance. 

Convinced of the great importance of re- 
gaining the lost position before the enemy 
was heavily reinforced, he ordered Dennis 
to join him with the 49th grenadiers and 
Chishohn's company of York militia, leav- 
ing only a few men in the village to hold 
them in check in that quarter. When their 
companies came up he detached Williams 
with a section of hia own company and the 
whole of the militia, making about seventy 
men in all. by a round about route to turn 
the left of Wool's position. Observing this 
movement, the latter detached a party of 
150 men to check it, but after a brief in- 
terchange of shots, the Americans fell into 
confusion and began to retire. Seizing the 
favorable moment. Brock sprang over the 
stone wall behind which he had directed 
his men to take shelter, and led the way 
directly up the steep ascent towards the 
battery, waving his sword and shouting to 
the grenadiers, who followed him with a 
ready cheer. 

The rain had ceased and strong gleams of 
sunshine broke through the clouds. The 
ground was thickly strewn with fallen leaves 
slippery with wet, and yielding treacher- 
ously, and as men stumbled and fell here 
and there the line was soon broken. Wool 
sent a reinforcement to support his advance 
party and their fire soon began to tell. 
"This is the first time I have ever seen the 
49th turn their backs ! ' Brock exclaimed 
angrily as he noticed men dropping to the 
rear, and the ranks promptly closed up. 
McDonnell brought up the companies of 
Cameron and Hervard which had just ar- 
rived from Brown's Point much exhausted, 
having run nearly all the way. The force 
then engaged in the direct assault of the 
heights including these companies numbered 
about one hundred and ninety men. The 
flank companies were uniformed in scarlet 
and advanced with such steadiness, that 
Wool was led to believe that he was being 
attacked by four companies of the 49th. 
His own command had been increased to 
about five hundred rank and file two-thirds 
of whom were regular soldiers, yet notwith- 
standing their advantage in numbers and 
position, being at the same time pressed 
warmly on the flank by William's detach- 
ment, they began to shrink from the contest. 

Seeing that the supports were lagging at 
the foot of the hill Brock shouted to Mc- 
Donnell to "push on the York volunteers.'' 
A bullet struck the wrist of his sword- 
arm inflicting a slight wound, to which he 
paid no attention but continued to wave his 
sword and encourage his men. His tall and 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



15 



portly figure and energetic gestures, as well 
as his uniform and position several yards in 
front of the line, naturally made him a 
speciil target tor the bullets of the enemy 
although he does not seem to have been 
persomlly recognized by them. At last a 
rifleman, said to be one Wilklow of Mose- 
ley's battalion, stepped out of a thicket less 
than fifty yards away and took deliberate 
aim at him. More than one man of the 
49th observed this and fired hastily in the 
hope of anticipating his shot, but without 
effect. The fatal bullet struck their general 
in the breast very near the heart, and he 
sunk slowly to the j/round and expired after 
murmuring a few broken sentences to those 
nearest him to conceal his death from the 
men and continue the fight. 

McDonnell spurred his horse sharply to 
the front and called upon the grenadiers to 
avenge their leader's death. VV^illiam's at 
the same moment led forward his detach- 
ment from the thickets on the right and the 
combined force charged at once fiercely up- 
on the front and flank of the enemy who 
were already in disorder and huddled to- 
gether about the bdttery, out of which they 
were quickly expelled and driven obliquely 
upwards towards the summit of the heights 
in the direction of the river. Being hotly 
pursued, an officer even raised a handker- 
chief or white cloth on the point of his 
sword as a flag of truce, but this was quickly 
snatched away from him by Wool, who by 
great exertions succeeded in persuading his 
men to make a stand on the very verge of 
the cliff A body of fresh troops including 
an entire company of the 6th U. S. infantry, 
and another of rifles opportunely came to 
his p.ssistance at this critical moment and 
enabled him to prolong his line until he out- 
fliuked his assailants in both directions. 
They had also fallen into much disorder 
through the haste and impetuosity of their 
advance. Williams had been disabled Dy a 
ghastly wound in the head, Dennis had 
been badly hurt, and a considerable num- 
ber of men killed or wounded. McDounell 
had as yet escaped unharmed, although being 
the only mounted officer present, he natur- 
ally attracted the fire of the enemy by whom 
hewas supposed at the time to be the 
British general, and his hat and clothes 
were pierced in many places. But now 
while attemptiny to restore order and form 
the men for a fresh attack, his horse was 
struck by a shot, and as the animal plunged 
in agony, his rider also received a mortal 
wound and was thrown from the saddle. In 
spite of the eff,)rts of Dennis and other 
officers, the British then gave way in turn 
and. retreated to the foot of the heights 



carrying with them, however, the dead body 
of their general and most of the wounded. 
They were not vigorously pursued and did 
not lose more than a dozen prisoners, most 
of whom were too badly injured to bs re- 
moved. Dennis refused to quit the field 
and succeeded in collecting most of his men 
at the farther end of the village which was 
still occupied by Lieut. Crowther with a 
squad of Provincial artillerymen in charge 
of two small guns. 

The result of tLia engagement had a very 
inspiriting influence upon the troops at 
Lewiston, numbers of whom instantly pro- 
fessed great eagerness to cross the river and 
share the glory of the day They still pos- 
sessed a sufficient number of boat* to carry 
over the rem^iinder of the division before 
ten o'clock; the pissage of the river was 
now for some time entirely unopposed, and 
why they did not make better use of their 
opportunities has never been sjitisfactorily 
explained. As it was, considerable bodies, 
both of regular troops and militia were 
brought over, with a six pound field piece, 
its carriage and tumbril. General Van 
Rensselaer and Colonel Chrystie exam!"- ' 
the position on the heights and gave fli.oo- 
tione for its immediate fortification. Engi- 
neer officers were set at work and field- 
works commenced. The gun in the redan 
was unsp ked and brought to bear on the 
village. Colonel Winfield Scott, the future 
conqueror of Mexico, having arrived from 
Buffalo during the morning with a battery 
of artillery, placed his guns in position at 
Lewiston and crossed the river to take com- 
mand of the regular troops at (^>ueenston, 
who were re-enforced by detacnments of 
the 6th and 23rd U. S. infantry and 2nd 
and 3rd artillery. About the same time 
Brigadier-General James Wadsworth as- 
sumed command of the militia brigade, con- 
sisting of portions of Allen's, Bloom's, 
Mead's and Stranahan's regiments, and 
Moseley's battalion of riflemen. The pre- 
cise number of men belonging to these corps 
that passed the ri^'e^ it is impossible to as- 
certain. Estimites by their own officers 
ranged from one thousand to sixteen hun- 
dred. Some companies of militia were rep- 
resented by officers without m.en ; others by 
men without officers, while a few were al- 
most or quite complete. 

The sound of a heavy cannonade at the 
mouth of the river excited the worst ap- 
prehensions in the minds of the little band 
that continued to occupy Queenston village, 
until they were relieved by the arrival of 
Captain Derenzy, with several companies of 
the 41st and militia, a detachment of Royal 
Artillery wiih two field guns under Captain 



i6 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



Holcroft, and a party of ladians led by 
Captain John Norton and Lieut. John 
Brant. Stragglers from the aeld, whom 
they encountered on the road, reported that 
Dennis' entire command had been cut to 
pieces, and that five thousand men had 
landed. Accordingly they had advanced 
much of the distance at the double, and 
when they reached Queenston, were out of 
breath and quite exhausted. Under these 
circumstances it would have been tolly to 
attempt the recovery of the heights, where 
the numbers of the enemy could have been 
seen momentarily increasing, but Holcroft 
planted his guns on the high ground below 
the village, and endeavored to interrupt the 
passage of the river. 

Small parties of the enemy had entered 
the upper part of the village, where they 
had plundered some of the houses, but they 
had made no effort to occupy it in force. 
After a few shots, finding that his pieces 
were too far away to reach their boats, 
Holcrof, again limbered up, and guided by 
Captain Archibald Hamilton, to whom 
every inch of ground was familiar from boy- 
hood, dashed boldly across the ravine and 
through the village until he reached Hamil- 
ton's house, where he took up a position 
within the courtyard partly sheltered by 
the ruins of the wall. Derenzy at once sup- 
ported him with a company of the 41st, and 
there his fire soon became effective, although 
he lost several of his best men. A few 
case-shot drove away the enemy's riflemen, 
and he then engaged the batteries opposite, 
firing also when an opportunity offered at 
boats on the river. The battery on Lewis- 
ton was still out of range, but the guns at 
the landing were three times silenced, ab^ a* 
scow, and at least two other boats, sunk in 
the act of crossing. Such was the precision 
of his fire, that from that time forward very 
few men attempted to pass the river. 

In the meantime Scott had thrown out 
pickets to the edge of the woods on the left 
of his position, and the Indians were 
detached in that direction to engage them 
and annoy their working parties. This was 
accomplished in fine style, as their approach 
through the woods was undetected, and the 
outposts were surprised and completely 
routed with considerable loss. A large 
body of infantry then advanced to repel 
them, and the Indians instantly ran to the 
woods again, whence they kept up an in- 
cessant fire, accompanied with shrill whoops. 
The suddenness of the attack and the 
character of the assailants produced a 
genuine panic, which extended itself even 
to Lewiston, where a militia company on 
the point of entering the boats abruptly 



halted and refused to move. Norton con- 
tinued to skirmish with, and annoy their 
outposts, and although several times at- 
tacked, always eluded his antagonists by 
plunging into the woods, where they dared 
not follow. Numbers of the American 
militia deserted their companies, and at- 
tempted to regain their own shore, and 
thenceforth their force continued to 
diminish. Besides the serious annoyance 
and loss inflicted upon the enemy by this 
movement, direct communication was again 
opened with the garrison at Chippawa. 

Upon reaching Queenston iJerenzy had 
at once sent a message to General Shealfe, 
describing the situation of aff:tir8, and the 
latter soon afterward arrived and assumed 
command. He lost no time in ordering 
every man that could be spared from the 
garrisons of Fort George and Chippawa, to 
join him without delay. By two o'clock the 
detachments from the former post had all 
arrived, leaving it occupied only by a few 
men of the R >yal Artillery and the Lincoln 
militia, and those from Chippawa were 
known to be rapidly approaching. The 
force already assembled consisted of Hol- 
croft's detachment of Royal Artillery with 
two six-pounders, a squad of Swayze's pro- 
vincial artillery with two three pounders, 
under Lieut. Crowther, five companies of 
the 41st regiment, Capt.James Crookes' and 
John McE wen's companies of the Ist 
Lincoln, Willi im Crookes' and Nelles' com- 
panies of the 4ch Lincoln, Applegarth's, 
Ilatts' and Durands' companies of the 5th 
Lincoln, a fe^f troopers of Merritt's pro- 
vincial dragoons, and the remnants of the 
two companies of the 49ch and three of 
York militia, engaged in the morning, 
probably numbering in all rather more than 
SOO of all ranks, exclusive of the Indians, 
who certainly did not exceed one hundred. 

As the enemy's force appeared to be still 
considerably more numerous than his own, 
and they were busily engaged in fortifying 
their position in evident anticipation of 
another direct attack from below, the 
British commander determined to heave 
Holcrof t's two guns supported by a detach- 
ment of infantry to occupy the village, and 
prevent the passage of reinforcements, while, 
with the remainder of his troops, he moved 
around their flink, ascending the heights in 
rear of the woods already occupied by the 
Indians, and formed a junction with the 
column advancing from Chippawa, which 
would increase his numerical strength by 
150 men. In this way he would at once 
escape the enfilading fire of the batteries, at 
Lewiston, avoid the steep ascent in the face 
of the enemy, render their fieldworks use- 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



17 



less, and place his men on an equal footing 
with them on the open and level ground 
above. 

The Indians redoubled their activity as 
the column approached, keeping however, 
well under covet, and thoroughly succeeded 
in obviating any attempt to harass its 
advance. Within an hour SheafiFe gained 
the cleared ground on the right of the 
woods occupied by them, extendiug as far 
as the portage road, where he beheld Cap- 
tain Richard Bullock advancing from Chip- 
pawa with his own company of the 41st, and 
Captain Robert Hamilton's and Jno. Rowe's 
com panies of the 2Qd Lincoln, strengthened for 
the occasion like most others, by a number 
of volunteers from the ranks of the seden- 
tary militia. Foremost among other aged 
men properly exempt from service, whom 
the emergency had impelled to seize their 
arms, again was Lieut. -Col. Rilfe Clench, 
once an officer in Butler's rangers, and 
then the district judge, who had retired 
from command of the 1st Lincoln battalion 
<!• few years before owing to infirmity. 

The combined force, numbering about 
930 officers and men, whs formed for the at- 
tack with the light company of the 41st, 
under Lieut. Mclntyre, and the two com 
panies of the 49th, still commanded by the 
dauntless Dennis, on the left of the line next 
the Indians, supported by a small battalion 
of militia under Lieut. -Col. Butler. The 
centre and right wing were composed of the 
five remaining companies of the 4l8t, hav- 
ing in support the rest of the militia under 
Lieut. -Col. Thomas Clarke. The two small 
field-pieces, drawn by men with drag-ropes, 
preceded the advance of the line, which was 
necessaiily deliberate. 

The number of combatants actually 
arrayed against them at that moment cannot 
be exactly stated, but could hardly have 
been less than nine hundred, of whom more 
than half were regulars. Like the British, 
this force was made up of detachments from 
many different battalions. Its ranks had 
been much diminished by desertions since 
the Indians had renewed the fight, numbers 
of men stealing down to the river and lurk- 
ing there in the hope of finding means of 
escape. Perceiving that SheafFe vvas pre- 
paring for a decisive attack upon his posi- 
tion, and probably having no desire to 
grace his triumph as a prisoner. General 
Van Rensselaer determined to return to 
Lewiston, with the lingering hope of enlist- 
ing a reinforcement from the large body of 
militia still congregated there. He had 
scarcely entered his boat, when the skulkers 
at the landing crowded into it in such num- 
bers, that it was in actual danger of being 



swamped by their weight, and pushed off 
heedless alike of his threats and entreaties. 
His departure left Colonel Scott in com- 
mand, having under him Colonel Chrystie 
and Brigadier-General Wadsworth. Sheafie's 
movements obliged him to abandon his un- 
completed fieldworks, and take up a new 
position on the crown of the heights, where 
a slight barricade was hastily extemporized 
with fence-rails, logs and brushwood, with 
the left flank resting on the edge of the cliff, 
and the liflemen on the other, facing the 
Indians from among the brush-huts,formerly 
occupied by the 49ch light company. The 
gun in the redan could not be made to bear 
in this direction, and his solitary field-piece 
was therefore planted in front of the centre 
of the line, near the site of the present 
monument. 

While waiting the attack, Scott received 
a message from Van Rensselaer, stating 
that he had been unable to induce a single 
regiment, or even a company to advance to 
his relief, but forwarding a supply of 
ammunition and asssuring him, that if he 
telt unable to maintain his position, boats 
would be sent to remove the troops, and the 
artillery would cover his retreat. Upon 
Van Rensselaer's arrival on his own shore 
he found a few men at the landing, whom 
He sent oyer, and then accompanied by 
members of his staff and"old Judge Peck," 
grotesquely equipped for war in a huge 
cocked hat and long swoid, rode through 
the cantonments, exhorting the groups of 
louaging soldiers they met there on every 
hand, to make an effort to rescue their com- 
rades from their perilous situation, but 
without producing the slightest effect. 

Scott's men were already profoundly dis- 
couraged at being called upon to fight 
another action, and evinced an alarming 
disposition to stray away from their ranks, 
which he endeavored to check by instruct- 
ing the sergeants to shoot those who should 
attempt to leave their post without orders. 
The contest was began by the advance of 
the light company of the 4l8t, which fired a 
single volley, and then charged with fixed 
bayonents upon the riflemen on the right of 
the American line, who, being unprovided 
with weapons to resist this form of attack, 
gave way in great contusion, leaving that 
flank exposed. On witnessing the success 
of this movement, Sheaffe gave the signal 
for a general advance. The gun was taken 
and the position carried almost without 
resistance, and the entire body of American 
troops forced steadily back upon the river, 
the British line by the advance of the wings 
having gradually assumed the form of a 
crescent, overlapping them on both flanks. 



BATTLE OF QUEENS TON HEIGHTS. 



Some of the fugitives braving the tire of the 
guns in the village, ran down the hill 
towirds the landing; Scott, hitnselt, and a 
number of others scrambled down the steep 
bank to the water's edge, in the hope of 
finding the promised boats ; VVadsworth and 
Clirystie, with more thin five huudred 
oftcers and men, surrendered on the verge 
of the cliff. 

Meanwhile the fire of llolcroft's artillery 
had rendered the passage of the river so 
dangerous, that the boatmen positively re- 
fused to undertake it, and dispersed. As 
no boats were waiting to receive them, a 
few desperate men plunged into the river 
aod attempted to swim across, of whom 
some perished ; the remainder tried to 
secrete themselves among the rocks and 
thickets along the shore. The Indians lined 
the cliffs above,or perched themselves in the 
trees whooping incessantly, and fir ing at the 
fugitives whenever an opportunity offered. 
Under these circumstances Scott was glad 
to raise a white fl^g in the hope of preser- 
ving the lives of the rest of his command. 
For a few minutes, even after this was done, 
the Indians continued their firing either 
not observing or disregarding this token of 
submission, until it is said that Sheaffe grew 
so indignant at their misconduct, that he 
dashed his hat and sword on the ground, and 
threatened that he would resign the com- 
mand if they were not at once restrained. 
When this was accomplished, 290 officers 
and men surrendered there. Some yet 
evaded discovery, and forty were brought in 
next day, swelling the entire number of 
prisoners taken to an aggregate of 958, 
among whom there was one general, six 
colonels, three majors, seventeen captains 
and thirty-six subalterns. 

The loss in killed and wounded cannot be 
exactly stated on either side. The British 
official leturn is missing, but is said to have 
footed up a total of only sixteen killed and 
sixty nine wounded. It is doubtful whether 
the casualties among the militia were in- 
cluded in this. Two Cayuga chiefs and 
three -varriors, whose names have been pre- 
served were killed, and Norton himself and 
eight others wounded, although this loss 
was insignificant in point of number. The 
death of Geu. Brock was felt to be an almost 
irreparable blow, and by many of his op- 
ponents was considered to have fully com- 
pensated for their defeit. liesides him, 
Lieut Col. McDonnell seems to have been 
the ouly British officer killed, and none but 
Captains Dennis and Williams appear to 
have been wounded. 

No complete return of casualties was at- 
tempted by the Americans, probi,bly owing 



to the immediate dispersal of a large portioQ 
of the militia. A week after the battle, 
V^a Rensselaer stated officially that it would 
be impossible to furnish a complete state- 
ment, but estimated the number of killed 
at sixty, and of wounded at one hundred 
and seventy. It was but natural that he 
should be disposed to minimize his losses, 
and accordingly we find others incl'ned to 
believe them very much greater. Loasing 
and J. L. Thomsoq, neither of whom would 
be prone to exaggeration in this respect, 
agree in placing the number of killed at 
ninety, but diminish the numbtr of 
wounded. Contemporary accounts gener- 
ally put both still higher. Colonel Mead, 
a prisoner, estimated the killed and drowned 
at one hundred, and the wounded at twice 
that number, while (^'donel Bloom, who 
was wounded hut escaped capture, thought 
that a hundred were drowned alone, and 
three huadied killed and wounded. Aa 
eye wituess whose letter was published in 
the Boston Metnewjer stated that 1600 
Americans were engaged, of whom 900 
were regulars, and that the number of killed 
was variously estim ited from 150 up to 400. 
.-V letter iu the Ontario Ri posilory also itoin 
an eyewitness, computed the killed and 
missing at 250, while still another in the 
Geneva Gazelle raised the number to .300. 
But a British otficer writing from Fort 
George on the 17th of October, fairly dis- 
tanced all others by the conjecture, that 500 
of their men mas: haveperished in theactiob, 
or in the river, relating in support of his 
opinion that one buit was seen to sink with, 
about fifty men, while twti others, each hav- 
ing as many on hoard, did not bring more 
than half a dozen ashore alive in either of 
them. 

There can be no doubt that their loss was 
severe. A single company of the 13:h, lost 
thirty men in killed or wounded, and four 
out of the five captains of that regiment en- 
gaged, were disabled by wounds. Three 
captains and three subalterns were killed, 
and besides those who were taken prisoners, 
two colonels, four captains, and five subal- 
terns were wounded. There were one 
hundred and twenty wounded officers and 
men among the prisoners, thirty of whom 
died. The ho-^pital at Niagijra was filled, 
and the remainder laid in the courthouse 
and churcties. One hundred and forty others 
had been removed before the surrender to 
Lewiston,and of these, not less than one hun 
dred are related to have been buried within 
a month, many of them dying from flesh 
wounds through insufficient care. 

Van Rensselaer's failure was complete 
and disastrous. He had lost all his best 



BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS. 



t9 



officers.and the flowers of his troops, and the 
entire division engaged was practically ren- 
dered incapable of resuming operations in 
the field. Ten days afterward he abandoned 
the struggle in despair, by throwing up the 
command. His successor. General Smyth, 
reported that he found his force diminished 
by more than two thousand men in conse- 
quence of the defeat, half this loss having 
been caused by desertion Several of the 
militia regiments had to be actually dis- 
banded in consequence, and the men still 
remaining in camp allowed to return to their 
homes. A letter written from Manlins, N. 
Y., on the 3rd of November, contains the 
dismal account "that the militia corps on 
the lines have dwindled, and are dwindling 
to mere skeletons, some of the companies 
containing a less number of privates than 
officers. The rifle corps from this county 
18 reduced by sickness, prisoners, etc., to 
less than the complement of a company, and 
Major Moseley in consequence has returned 
home." 

Besides the field-piece already mentioned, 
and about a thousand stand of small arms, 
the colors of one of the New York regi- 
ments were taken. In November this tro- 
phy was displayed in the courtyard of the 
castle of St. Louis at Quebec, and is thus 
described by the Mercury : — "It is made of 
blue or purple-colored changeable silk about 
a yard and a half square, with the arms of 
the United States on one side and those of 
New York on the other, both surrounded 
by a circle of starb." 

Note. — The companies of Rowe and 
Hamilton engaged in this battle, being the 
flank companies of the 2nd Lincoln battalion, 
were formed from among the residents of 
the townships of Stamford, Thorold and 
Wllloughby. The following copy of the 
original muster-rolls of these companies will 
not be devoid of inter-ists to many of the 
present inhabitants of this county : — 

"We the non-commissioned officers and 
privates belonging to Captain John Rowe's 
company of the second regiment of Lincoln 
militirt do sincerely promise and swear that 
we will be faithful and bear true Allegiance 
to His Mdjesty, King George, and him will 
defend to the utmost of our power, against 
all traitorous conspiracies and attempts, 
whatsoever, which shall be made against 
His Person, Crown, or Dignity, and we will 
do our utmost endeavours to disclose, and 
make known to His Majesty, His Heirs, and 
Successors, all treasons and traitorous con- 
spiracies, or attempts which we shall know 
to be against him or them. So help us God. 
William Silverthorn, John Kalar, 
Stephen Peer, John Sutton, 

William Coan, Benjamin Sutton, 



Stephen Barber, Colin McCallum, 

Jonathan Conklin, Aaron Sutton, 

Wareham Johnson, Hugh Hagerty, 

William Biggar, Conrad Sider, 

Ebenezer Skinner, James Biird, 

John Pearson, Edward Durham, 

Jonah Hovey, James Thompson, 
Isaac Hovey. 

Sworn before me at Chippawa, 4th Sept., 
1812, Thomas Dickson, J. P. 

CAPT ROBERT HAMlLTO^^'s COMPANY. 

William Rawles, William Snart, 

Harman Pruyn, James Ostrander, 

Martin Anderson, Adam Bowman, 

Paul Weaver, John Dorshimer, 

Frederick Near, Thomas Bloomfield, 

Gabriel Smith, Philip Bettes, 

Robert Fielick, A Upper, Lieut., 

Thomas Bald, Joshua Robins, 

Charles Anderson, Adam Dennis, 
Jacob Schram. 

Sworn before Thomas Cummings, J. P., 
6th of October, 1812. 

Daniel Davis, Elijah Johnson, 

Thomas Cain, John Camplin, 

Reuben Green, Henry Stammack, 

Francis Pettas, Arthur Mcintosh, 

Peter Bastedo, Antoine Eimetter, 

Benjamin Babcock, Louis Blanchette, 

John Gallopain, William Gilmore, 

VVillian Agler, Caleb Hopkins, 

Robert Hopkins, Este Mack, 

Richard Griffith, .John Thomas, 

Henry Millar, Dongald McLachlan, 

Christian Master, Job M. Liyton, 

James Slaght. Phineas Moulton. 

Sworn on the 29th of August, 1812. 
Robert Watterhouse, Darius Williams, 

Thomas Fortin, H. Vanalstine, 

William Thomas, C. Vanderburg, 

Andrew Neville, Phineas Smith, 

Jonathan Doan, Frederick Glans, 

Adam Killman, Thomas Lodge, 

John Williams, Perry Loucks, 

John Lutz, George Bill. 

Robert Willson, Gilbert VanWyck, 

Abraham Teaters, B. Humphreys, 

Moses Gilmore, John Bowman, 

Cornelius Johnson, Calvin Cook, 

James Ryan, John Howell, 

Jacob Vanderburgh, James E. Wood, 

John Christler, Alvin Silverthorn, 

John Scott, James Scott, 
Andrew Willson, Peter Bowman, 

Mathias Gruvick, Nathan Arnold, 

George Marlatt, John Morrison, 
Loyal Davis, David Piersou, 

John Kelly, John Skinner, 
Obadiah Swayze, Peter B. Dewitt, 

Hiram Swayze, 

Sworn on the 4th of Sept., 1812. 
John Carl, John Smith. 

Sworn on the 12th Oct., 1812. 



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